Embrace the Fire

by Spring Stevens

  He turned to the bed and sat down. Her sultry scent was all over him, and he liked it. He stripped the sheets from the bed and tucked them neatly into a hamper inside his large closet. He pulled two fresh ones from the shelf and fought with them, trying to make the bed. His thoughts kept going to the woman in the tub as he continued to smell her on his skin.

  His shaft hardened, and he went to the door. He could hear her breathing; her heartbeat thumped in a steady rhythm as water ran down her arms. He envisioned her naked in his tub as she shampooed her long, silky hair.

  Varick leaned his head against the door, and his fangs extended to their full length. He wanted her to be his and his alone. He wanted her body like he had never wanted any other before. And her sweet, deep, rich blood was a bonus he was all too aware of. He’d kill any other for touching her. It was his right; after all, had he not put his mark upon her neck?

  With a growl of possession, he roared, “Mine!”

  Varick jerked his head up.

  What the hell am I saying? It’s just the Mating Rite talking. After I am done with her, she will just be a damn memory. Hell, she’ll probably never speak to me again. She might not survive the beast.

  The thought stopped his heart in its tracks.

  Chapter 27

  When Angelica came out of the bathroom, Varick was standing in front of the fireplace in a pair of black silk boxers and boy, did he look edible. He turned and smiled as she reached for her clothes. He walked across the room and took her clothes from her hands. She couldn’t help but notice he was drenched in sweat, but then again so was she.

  “It’s time.”

  “Time for what?” She slapped Varick’s hand as he reached for the towel wrapped around her body.

  “The Mating Rite.”

  Angelica shook her head and sat down in the chair. “Look, I know we just had sex and it was great and all, but I don’t know about this rite of yours. What exactly are you asking me to do?”

  “Mate with me.”

  “Didn’t we just do that?”

  “Mating is a little more complicated,” Varick offered as he ran his hands through her hair. “Mating with me will be an unexplainable journey.”

  Her face reddened, and he grinned at her embarrassment. “More of the unexplainable? Don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

  “Just trust me,” he whispered as he caught her chin, knelt, and forced her to look at him. “Do you feel this?” He took her hand and placed it on his chest.

  She felt the hammering of his heart, and the heat from his skin was so hot it almost burned to touch him. “Yes.”

  “I have a beast inside me. It’s part of me. In essence, it is my soul. I am a Destroyer, and every once in a while it demands to be released. Now is his time. If I don’t release him, it will drive me insane.” He sucked in a harsh breath. “One of my friends will have to hunt me down and destroy me.”

  Angelica’s face paled as she felt his skin crawl underneath her fingers. She looked up and groaned as his eyes turned red. She was either having a nightmare or she had lost her mind. She pulled away and took the towel from her hair and rubbed at it as she tried to calm her nerves.

  This is not happening … I have gone completely insane. His eyes were not red, and his skin didn’t just … it didn’t just … Oh, shit! I’m committable, crazy, nuts … whacked!

  “I know you’re scared, and you should be, but I’ll hold him back as long as I possibly can and try to make it as quick as possible.”

  Angelica opened her mouth to make a rude comment but was silenced as Varick’s face filled with pain. She went to him and ran her hand along his jaw. He was burning up — not like a fever, but more like a fire was inside of him.

  “I’m hurting inside, Angelica, and I need your help.” His voice dripped with pain.

  She took his hands and grimaced as he sagged into her body. “What do you want me to do?”

  Varick kissed her neck, trapped both of her hands into one of his, and whispered, “Love me.”

  “But I don’t really even know you,” she whispered back as he led her to the bed.

  “My name is Varick Ta Farg. I was born to a clan of assassins, and I lived by their creed faithfully for the remainder of my first life. When I was thirty, I died at the hands of my mother. Gyth took my soul and offered me immortality in return for my servitude.” He paused as a dark expression crossed his face. “My mother was the daughter of the queen of the vampires. Gyth took her, and I was bred to be a killer. I am his Destroyer. I kill for him.”

  Angelica sat down on the bed as Varick took her face in his hands. “I have killed thousands of people, and not once have I shown any remorse for my deeds. I have brutally tortured, maimed, and gutted more humans in my life as an assassin than any other in the history of the world. As a Destroyer, those skills have come into use on a daily basis but each day that passes is torture to my soul. The things I have done were unforgivable, and my mother took pity on my soul the night she stabbed me in the black pit of my heart.”

  She slid back onto the bed as Varick grabbed the towel and tore it from her body. “The Mating Rite refuses to be denied any longer. I don’t want to be driven insane by my beast, nor do I want to hurt you.”

  “I don’t understand any of this. Why me, Varick?”

  “I need you to understand.” He gritted his teeth. “I was raised to be a killer. Throughout history, it was I, or one of my kind, who assassinated people of power. So many names, so many times, so very many … ” He paused as a deep regret filled his face. “They were strangled, poisoned, and tortured to death by my hands all for the sake of the goddess that commanded us. These hands, Angelica, these hands are the hands of a cold-blooded killer. And not once under her rule did I question my orders, not once did I take a stand and defend any of those I killed. Not once.”

  “But?”

  “There are no buts. Even after the clan of assassins was slain by my hand at the order of that goddess, I continued to be an assassin. For two years I continued to be an assassin because it’s all I knew.”

  “You said it yourself; you were raised as an assassin and lived by a goddess’s rules. Why do you beat yourself up about it? You were taking orders.”

  “I was … ” Varick looked the other way turning from Angelica. “Then one night, witches kidnapped my mother and used her against me. I had to do as they commanded, or they would have killed her.”

  Angelica ran her hand up his chest, and she whispered. “You were afraid, weren’t you?”

  “Not for myself. Never for myself.”

  “Your mother?” Tears streaked her cheeks.

  “One of my last assignments before they took her was for a coven of witches. Damon, the king of the Underworld, wanted a group of men assassinated that worked for one of the church missions in Belgium. I took the job and killed them all. When I went to collect, the witches had my mother and knew she was my only weakness.”

  “Your mother — how did she die?” Angelica ran her fingers up the glorious length of his arms, catching her breath as heat flooded her loins.

  “I did as I was told in fear for her life. The witches came for her after she killed me. My soul was there, still suspended above my body. Damon hand-delivered her to a rogue band of vampires and watched as they sliced her to pieces.” His voice quivered. “I couldn’t do anything; I was trapped in a purgatory because Gyth had captured my soul before the queen of the vampires, my grandmother, Zena, could call my soul to the Underworld.”

  Zena was his grandmother?

  “They used her to keep you as an assassin.” Angelica gritted her teeth, wanting to take away the pain that scorched Varick’s heart. “Gyth made you watch.”

  Varick’s expression darkened, and his nostrils flared. “Gyth offered me immortality, power, and the ability to see vengea
nce come full circle to all those involved.”

  Angelica’s eyes widened. “Revenge? You wanted to come back to take revenge for your mother and for yourself?”

  “I kill, one at a delicious time. I take great pleasure torturing vampires, mutilating them, desecrating their bodies, and claiming their black hearts because it’s the only thing I know how to do.”

  “All because some of them killed your mother?” Angelica tried to understand. “And Damon?”

  “Gyth cast him to the Underworld, imprisoned him there.” Varick dropped his head.

  Angelica tried to soothe him, ran her hand up his arms. He pulled back, his golden eyes full of tears.

  “My heart is a black void of hate, diseased with the disgusting animal instincts that were beaten into me. I am a … ” He swallowed as he looked into her eyes. “I am … ”

  Angelica threw her arms around his neck and clung to him as she whispered, “You are Varick Ta Farg, and your past isn’t important. What matters is the future. My heart is breaking for you.”

  Varick pulled away, took three steps, and turned to face her. “There isn’t going to be a future. I can’t allow you to do this. I won’t let my beast hurt you.”

  Angelica’s insides snapped, popped, and her stomach flipped. She clutched at her stomach as pain hammered through her. Falling forward, he reached out to take her hand. She backed up until the backs of her legs hit the bed. A scream ripped from her lips as her body seized.

  Angelica fell backwards onto the pillows as she clutched at her heart. Pain shot up her neck and down her spine as Varick slid over her body. Sweat beaded her forehead, and her vision blurred.

  She twisted underneath him. “What the hell are you doing to me?”

  Varick whispered, “I’m not doing this to you. The Burning has claimed you.”

  Chapter 28

  Varick growled as he caught the odor of the Burning. The beast inside his mind roared, pain splintering in his skull. He couldn’t go through with this, couldn’t take the risk of hurting her. But the Burning could kill her even if the beast didn’t.

  Maybe he could hold the beast off until after the Burning was over. Maybe he could spare her. She cried out as Varick trembled and closed his eyes. Flames shot out from his shoulders and crept down his spine.

  This could not be happening. There was no precedent for the Burning and the Mating Rite to take place at the same time. It could not be. He feared he was not strong enough to deal with both at the same time; either she would die or he would. Or they both would.

  Why did it always have to be the hard way — why did things go from bad to worse every time a situation arose, and for the love of all the misbegotten gods, why had he chosen her?

  Mine!

  “Your human blood is pooling inside your stomach. I’m going to take that blood and release the human impurities from it. And then you are going to take that blood back and become who you truly are.”

  Angelica screamed out in intense pain as sharp needles of lightning pricked at her insides. She kicked and twisted in agony as Varick held her to the bed. He felt her anger swell inside her, and she pushed with all her might at his chest. He strained to hold her still as his knee landed between her legs.

  “Not me! This is not happening! Get off me! I’m not like you.” She twisted and jerked as a spasm of pain hit her in the pit of her stomach and radiated out through her limbs. “Alera and Amay. They warned me about this.”

  “Your father was a Destroyer like me, and your mother was descended from a goddess. You are an immortal female by blood right, by birthright.”

  Her back arched as needle pains splintered up her backbone. “It hurts!”

  “It’s the Burning. Your thirtieth birthday marks the day your body begins releasing your human half and accepts the true powers of the One Race. The signs should have started. Dizziness. Confusion. Your body temperature getting hotter than normal. Muscles pains.”

  Varick watched her body transform. Her eyes began to glow as she arched again. He released his hold as she sat up and stretched her arms out. Tiny droplets of blood hung in the air as her skin released the being inside of her.

  Long, black wings emerged from her shoulder blades, dripping in blood. Instead of feathers, long strands of black, silky hair fell from their length. Her fingernails grew and blackened. Her skin paled, and black daggers appeared down both her arms and across her collarbone. He watched as the daggers danced down between her breasts and down her stomach. They appeared along both her legs as little black horns emerged from her temples.

  The black daggers were just like the ones in his dream.

  He caught his breath as he stared at her. She was glorious and beautiful.

  “I’m not hurting anymore. My stomach … ohhh … I’m sick to my stomach.” She glanced at her wings and laughed hysterically. “I have wings!”

  “I have to take your blood now.” The words were spoken as he lengthened his incisors.

  “Oh, hell no, you are not going to stick those fuckers into me again!”

  She scrambled to her knees and groaned. Her body ached. She looked down, and her eyes widened in disbelief at the black daggers dancing on her skin as if they had a life of their own. Varick took advantage of her moment of hesitation and slammed her down onto the bed.

  She laughed as his eyes rolled back into his head. “What’s wrong, Varick? Not feeling up to the job?”

  Varick grunted as he showed her his fangs, and his back splintered open. Black flames leapt from his back as a set of black-and-gold wings emerged. Horns ripped out of his shoulders and forehead — long, sharp, black horns twisted with gold. His long, scaled tail forced itself from his body and twirled around his head before coming to rest alongside Angelica on the bed. He felt her stiffen as black flames engulfed him. Her thoughts poured into him, fear building inside her.

  I’m going to burn to death underneath him!

  “Angelica, don’t be afraid.”

  She turned her head and pulled him closer. Varick groaned as he sank his teeth into her flesh. As her blood filled his mouth, he could taste her passion, her being, and her soul. She was innocent to evil, and her soul was as pure as a newborn babe. He could feel the protection she had been placed under, he could feel Amay’s possessive shroud hovering around her, and he could feel her completely putting her trust in him.

  And he could sense another power, one so much like her father’s. In her blood, her very DNA twisted, melted, and recalibrated itself, allowing that power to sense her, to home in on her. And that being was a Destroyer. Like her brother Eli, she would awake not only as a member of the One Race but also as the first female Destroyer.

  In that second, more than he had ever wanted anything, he wanted her to love him. His heart lodged in his throat, tears filled his eyes. He had never wanted or needed anyone’s love. Fisting his hands in her hair, a blood red tear fell from his eye. He wanted and needed her, like fire needed oxygen.

  He pulled from her neck and licked the wounds. He watched as she looked up at him and gently wiped her blood from his lips. Then, of all things, she smiled and kissed his chin as her eyes fluttered closed.

  His insides burned as her blood settled inside him. Her memories were filled with the love of her brother, her protector. She’d had a wonderful childhood and knew only their love and commitment to her. When she had left home her heart had broken and had been breaking every day since. Her love of Eli ran through his soul and forced its way into his heart; that black orb of hate and disgust opened and burst under the pressure of her unconditional love.

  Only one thing plagued her — the death of her parents and the secrets that surrounded her brother. She had wanted to know her mother, and she often cried when she tried to envision her. She wanted a mother’s love, a gentle hand to caress away her fears, to soothe her heart.


  Varick fell to his elbows and turned her to face his neck. He cut into his skin with his fingernails and brought her lips to the gash. Awakened from her slumber, she licked the wound he had made. The hot liquid was delectable, and her teeth sank into his skin. She sucked as if her very life depended on it.

  When she released him, a primal lust filled him. The beast clawed through his defenses, screaming Angelica’s name. He wanted her as bad as Varick did.

  She grabbed his arms and arched under him as he sagged against her. Her nipples hardened as they rubbed against his chest, and she groaned as he slid into position. She arched again and whispered his name.

  “Angelica, this is where I have to release him. Please forgive me.”

  Huskily, she begged, “Now! Do it now!”

  Varick closed his eyes and released the beast. His flames leapt to the ceiling, and his wings expanded to their full length. His body arched, and his tail whipped through the air like a lethal sword. Half man and half dragon, Varick and the beast stared down at her. When he slammed into her, she screamed his name for the whole world to hear. His fingernails dug into the mattress as her hand flew to his chest and her fingernails buried themselves deep into the skin above his heart.

  He watched as her fingernails turned, twisted, and went across his skin. Deep within his heart, in his very soul something snapped, popped, and lodged itself in his throat. Under her fingers, her name was written. She had marked him and he had never felt such a wonderful sense of belonging.

  Moving against her, he reeled in the pleasure they were both feeling.

  Angelica went wild with pleasure. She arched again and again to meet his hot, burning need. Her wings braced on the floor as he pounded into her. When his hand captured her breast, she clawed her fingernails down his chest.

  She hissed in ecstasy as his tongue flicked out and ran across her nipple. She pulled him down and brought his face to hers. The kiss was blinding as his tongue encircled hers. She moaned in his mouth as his hands went to her hips. He could feel her fingernails digging into his skin, but he refused to acknowledge the pain. Every second he was inside of her, he could feel his heartbeat, and it was total chaos to his senses.